Good question @freedancer69,
Of course, we are all different and respond to pain differently as well, so it is a subjective answer I give based on my own experience.
There is pain with any surgery. That's a no-brainer. It is not pleasant to be sure, to have your chest wired back together. I have nine wires in my chest. They no longer cause discomfort of any kind. I had no stiches, except the internal ones that dissolve over time. The wound healed quickly, maybe two weeks or so?
Your pain will be your guide for activity, and your body will tell you when not to do something. You will most likely have weight restrictions and driving restrictions for about 4 weeks. It goes by really fast.
It took several months for me to be able to sleep on my side. I didn't want to, it just didn't feel good. So I used a pillow behind me to give me an ever-so-slight sensation of sleeping side ways and a feeling of security.
There is a hesitation to cough or deep breathe for about four weeks as well...or the surprise sneeze that can catch you off guard. It was hard for me to get in or out of a lot of things...like in/out of bed. In/out of car. In/out of chair. But you will find ways to do so without much discomfort.
It's really amazing how strong we really are and how we learn to cope with discomfort. I never took one pain pill, only Advil the entire time...including the first night in ICU. They gave me Extra Strength Tylenol in the hospital, which did basically nothing. After getting the green light to take Advil it worked so much better.
No sugar coating here. There will be pain. Any surgery has pain associated with it. I just had bilateral meniscectomies in my right knee and the pain was not fun, and I still have pain. My open heart surgery was a much quicker healing process than my knee! But there are obvious differences in surgeries.
Do you have a hobby or something that you can do that brings you joy or peace between now and April 11?